Tim Armstrong. Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images.
Tim Armstrong is leaving Oath, the Verizon media unit that houses both Yahoo and AOL. He will be succeeded by chief operating officer Guru Gowrappan, who joined earlier this year from Alibaba.
Why it matters: No one is quite sure what Verizon plans to do with Oath. It seems much more interested in networking than media, but nonetheless scuttled Armstrong's efforts to spin Oath out into an independent company.
Defense Secretary Mark Esper said at a press briefing Wednesday that he does not support invoking the Insurrection Act, an 1807 law that permits the president to use active-duty troops on U.S. soil, in order to quell protests against racial injustice.
Why it matters: President Trump threatened this week to deploy military forces if state and local governments aren't able to squash violent protests. Axios reported on Wednesday that Trump is backing off the idea for now, but that he hasn't ruled it out.
Illustration: Annelise Capossela/Axios
A leading Chinese gene sequencing and biomedical firm that said it would build a gene bank in Xinjiang is supplying coronavirus tests around the world.
Why it matters: U.S. officials are worried that widespread coronavirus testing may provide an opportunity for state-connected companies to compile massive DNA databases for research as well as genetics-based surveillance.
An Air China aircraft landing in New York City in January 2020. Photo: Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto via Getty Images
The Department of Transportation announced Wednesday that Chinese passenger airlines will be banned from flying to the United States starting June 16.
Why it matters: Heated tensions between Washington and Beijing are now beginning to impact the airline industry, as the DOT has accused the Chinese government of preventing U.S. airlines from resuming flights to China after suspending them earlier this year due to the coronavirus pandemic.